The Fury of Roslyn
by Elena George
Summary: Hurricane Roslyn popped up suddenly off the Mexican coast one day in late September. She began as a typical tropical storm, lots of wind and rain. However, at that moment, only the fish were getting wet. Now completed. Pls R&R, thx
1. Chapter 1

The Fury of Roslyn

The season for hurricanes in the Eastern Pacific is slightly longer than that of the Atlantic. Unlike the Atlantic, most of the hurricanes don't hit the mainland of the United States, they tear through the Baja or slam the West Coast of Mexico on their way to the deserts of the Southwest. However, there have been a few notable exceptions to that general rule. This is the story of one such exception.

Mid-to-late season hurricanes are often the worst of the storms. The water has had all summer to heat up, providing more than ample "fuel" for a ferocious storm. When hurricanes pop up in moderate el Nino years, the western shores of North American should be as prepared as the Caribbean islands for nasty weather.

Hurricane Roslyn popped up suddenly off the Mexican coast one day in late September. She began as a typical tropical storm, lots of wind and rain. However, at that moment, only the fish were getting wet. She was not endangering shipping lane or even the tourists on the Baja enjoying the last few days of a lovely summer and early fall. It took her only one day to become a cat 1 hurricane as she churned her way northwestward in the Eastern Pacific basin. Still her winds then only provided surfers with excitement.

As Roslyn tracked further north, she intensified. The early prognostications saw her, like all the ones before her, curving west and heading out to sea. She would rake the western beaches of Mexico, thrill surfers all the way up to Long Beach and beyond for a week or so, then get lost heading toward the Hawaiian Islands. Nevertheless, Roslyn had other ideas in mind. She took the same path another devastating tropical storm took in 1939 in about the same time of year. That was the only tropical storm in recorded history to make landfall in California. Roslyn was about to make that claim of "only" null and void. Moreover, she had picked up her forward progress as well as intensity. Hurricanes can and sometimes do go from "nothing" to "something" in a matter of hours. Such was Roslyn. She was "booking" along at 25 miles per hour as a cat 2, heading for cat 3.

Sharon lay sleeping soundly, nestled in Andy's arms. The household had been asleep for many hours. Well, Rusty was still awake. The young man had gotten involved with a project that simply refused to let him sleep. He was wide awake when the weather alert flashed at the bottom of his computer screen. It fairly screamed for his attention. Rusty was prepared for earthquakes, but he'd never seen a hurricane before. The weather forecasters on TV fascinated him when they would stand out in a storm along the East Coast clinging to lampposts and such. Sharon usually winced and told him that behavior was incredibly unwise and harmful to those watching. She had no use for that kind of risky behavior, no matter the cause. Her job was a whole other matter, risk and all, it was worth it.

Heart pounding through his chest with excitement, Rusty made a decision to awaken the rest of the house as this event moved every closer to where they lived. He got up and moved toward their door. Just as he knocked, the first phone call came in on Sharon's phone, followed quickly by Andy's phone ringing wildly in the middle of the night. Sharon and Andy were thrust into hyper-vigilant mode in an instant.

Provenza and Amy had placed the calls to alert the Captain and Lt Flynn that Major Crimes was being called up because of the pending disaster. It was moving so much faster than anyone had expected. None of the team had ever been through a hurricane, neither was it one of those training scenarios like other "normal" California natural disasters like fire, mudslide, and earthquake drills they were all prepared for. No, this was something completely new to the team and to the city.

Finger pointed in his direction, Sharon cautioned Rusty before leaving, "Rusty, have Gus come over here. The city has curfew plans to enact shortly. Stay away from the windows. And...no, playing out in the storm, mister! No hurricane party!"

"Seriously," concurred Andy, "I've had family go through hurricanes back East. It's not as much fun as the idiots on TV make it seem. When the power goes out, leave the fridge door shut. What's in there will keep for about 24 hours, but not if you open and shut the door."

Sharon looked at Rusty with deep care, "Stay safe up here. This building was built under earthquake codes, so it should hold up under winds, too. I love you," she concluded with a hug and kiss.

"I'm going to call Gus, now," Rusty assured them as they shut the door and headed to the office.

The outer bands had not yet reached as far north as the Los Angeles area. The storm was still a few hours away from fury and destruction on the mainland. When Sharon and Andy arrived, Amy and Provenza were already working up their usual "murder board" with maps of the greater Los Angeles area rather than faces and crime scene photos. Chief Howard had started to mark areas that his Special Operations Branch and Major Crimes Division would work together. This was an ALL Hands LAPD moment. Chief Howard alone had any hurricane experience.

"Good to see you, Captain," Howard offered his hand with a nod. "The mayor has called on the governor for National Guard troops to move in after the storm makes landfall and moves away."

Sharon and her team nodded, "More manpower. Good. That should make street patrol easier."

"What we don't want is a Katrina repeat in LA. The storm was upgraded half an hour ago to cat 3 with it intensifying as long as the bulk of it remains over open ocean. The good news is that Roslyn is a compact storm. The bad news is that Roslyn is a compact storm."

Julio gave a puzzled look, "Good news, bad news, sir?"

"It means that if its forward trajectory holds, it was pass over us quickly. It also means that the outer bands won't be as large, making the inner winds particularly devastating," Howard responded. "It will not dissipate quickly as outer bands hit land. It will stay intense until nearly the whole storm comes ashore."

Provenza got off the phone, "That was the Coast Guard. They are bringing in their last ship that was out. They just started up the coast to Treasure Island until the storm passes. They had reports of two small craft near the strong side of the storm, but they were not able to make a rescue. The seas are just too high to see anything and the winds too treacherous for their helicopters. Only NOAA is flying reconnaissance in this."

"The storm could drive survivors far north, if they survive it, into this region," Howard pointed on the map. "That's three counties away from us. Captain, someone needs to make a liaison with San Luis Obispo County Sheriff's Office."

"The whole coast from San Diego to Monterey counties are all on alert and moving," Amy added.

"I've got all of them linked in with us," Mike supplied. "Hurricanes like earthquakes can take out large swaths of buildings. However, unlike earthquakes, they come with tornadoes and floods. Since there was no time to board up windows, Captain, you might want to stay clear of your office."

Sharon nodded, "Buzz, can you and Julio drag my filing cabinets into the Murder Room to protect the files should a window blow out?"

"Right away," was the unison answer.

"Chief, you have lived through hurricanes on the East Coast. What else can we expect?" Sharon inquired.

"Power failure until the emergency generators here at the PAB kick in. When they do, they power one in three lights and the red colored outlets. So, you might want to make sure all electronics are charged up and ready to go. Mike, if you can run on batteries until the generators kick in, you might want to do so," Howard directed. "That will protect against power fluctuations until the generators smooth it all out."

"What about cell phones?" Andy wanted to know.

Howard turned to him, "That all depends on how many towers stay up and how many have electrical backups to keep them running. A bad hurricane can take the power grid down for days. One hit in one bad spot...does the same as an earthquake on older infrastructure."

"Hmmm," Julio began. "I bet the Los Angeles River will flood."

Andy nodded, "You bet it will. You know how fast it rises when we get a big rain, and this is only going to be worse. You remember the surrogate mother case we worked after only a little rain washed her into the storm drains and nearly out to sea."

Sharon mused, "I'd expect all these canals and tributaries to flood out," she motioned to the map.

"Well the good news is that any residual forest fires from this summer will be done," a chipper Amy noted.

"Yeah, just in time for mudslide season," intoned Julio.

"Buzz," Sharon asked, "are the camera batteries all charged and ready to record when we head out after the storm?"

"Yes, Ma'am. I made sure of that last night when we all went home," Buzz responded.

Mike scanned his computer's weather radar, "It looks as if the outer bands are not even half an hour away. It's showtime!"

Within twenty minutes rain began to splat against the glass of the windows. It was only a few heavy drops at first, then a pause, then more until it became a torrent of rain. Hail mixed in every now and then. The street lights were on below illuminating the dark pavement. Sunrise had made no effort to come to Los Angeles that morning. Hail jumped up and down on the pavement like little Ping-Pong balls. It was dark like a moonless night outside. Enticed, Sharon moved into her office to watch from the windows. Slowly the rest of the team assembled at the windows watching with wonder. Not a soul was on the street as sheets of rain came down hard. The palmetto trees strained in the wind. Traffic lights were moved back and forth almost to the point of twisting them off their suspension cables. It was only a matter of time.

The lights began to flicker as the storm ground ashore. The team moved into the Murder Room and away from the windows. Then darkness. Sharon and her team looked at the ceiling waiting for the generators to kick in. Except for the howling wind outside, it was silent in the Murder Room. The bang of the stairwell door captured everyone's attention. All eyes peered into the darkened hallway.

"Fritz?" Provenza asked into the dark.

"No," boomed back a voice just out of sight.

Everyone knew the sound of that voice. Sharon moved forward, navigating the desks carefully.

"Jack?" she started. "What are you doing here?"


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter 2

"At the risk of repeating myself," Sharon began tersely, "What are you doing here, Jack?"

"How did you get past the curfew is what I'd like to know," Provenza snapped.

Jack pulled off his raincoat and shook it onto the floor, adding to the growing puddle of water forming around him.

"What's a little rain?" he laughed. "Shah-ron, we need to talk!"

He started to her office with a fist full of paperwork rolled into a cylinder. Opening the door, he entered her office as the rest of the team just stood there with their mouths pursed or hanging open. Sharon had not moved but stuffed her hands deeper into her pockets and scowled at her ex-husband.

"I don't need this now, Jack!" she started toward her office. "There is a citywide emergency," she continued as she shut the door behind herself.

As if on queue, the window blinds snapped shut, excluding the team from the dialog to come. The team knew that whatever happened next was not going to be pretty for Jack Raydor. Only child molesters and murders brought out Sharon's temper more than Jack did.

Jack shook his fist at Sharon, "What's the meaning of this?!"

"What is 'this'?" Sharon answered quickly, though she figured she knew what had upset Jack.

"How could you? Annulment? Really? Sharon, this time you've gone too far!" Jack howled more loudly than the storm outside the windows.

"Jack, yes. I am going to marry Andy. And we want the blessing of God in the Church," Sharon leaned toward Jack.

"Well, I'm going to stop you. You are my wife!" he shouted.

"I haven't been your wife since you left me the first time with two little kids hanging onto my sleeves," she returned the volley.

"I want us to get back together," he yelled.

"Well, I don't," Sharon said bluntly. "I thought I made that abundantly clear months ago. You want me back only because you, one, don't want me to be happy; and, two, because someone else wants me."

Jack stopped for a moment and just looked at her as if he'd been slapped across the face.

"Baby, I've always loved you," he cooed.

Sharon rolled her eyes, then bulldozed forward, moving closer to Jack, "The hell you do. You have called me everything in the nasty book. You accused me of being frigid because I would not sleep with you before we married. You called me the "ice queen" because I did not have sex with you when you came home drunk and I was eight months pregnant with Ricky."

"That was so long ago," Jack implored. "Come on Baby, I'm a changed man now!"

Sharon looks at him incredulously, "Stop calling me 'Baby.' You know I hate it when you do. And I do not for one moment believe you have changed."

Jack reached into his pocket and pulled out a chip, "Look. Look!"

"That's nice," she turned away.

"I'm ninety days sober!" he moved toward the windows to watch the storm.

Sharon crossed her arms across the chest and shook her head, "You could be ninety years sober, and it would not matter to our relationship."

"You remember how we used to love watching storms come off the ocean back when we were newlyweds? You'd jump every time a flash of lightning lit up the sky."

"Yes, I remember. And I remember you got your jollies laughing at me when I did," Sharon retorted. "You know, Jack," she turned toward the door, "I do not think that you ever did love me at any point in our marriage. It was only sex, not Sharon, that you cared about."

He turned back with a wicked grin, "You still have got the looks that make men want to tear your clothes off!"

She moved to open the door when the storm grew more violent, just before the eye passed over. In the blink of an eye, the triple window panes shattered sending glass in every direction. Hail the size of silver dollars shattered the windows and skittered across the desk and floor. To put an exclamation point on the argument and the storm, a lightning bolt fired through the open window striking the back of Sharon's favorite desk chair, setting it on fire.

Sharon fell though the door and onto the floor. The team quickly responded to her side. She was trembling uncontrollably as Amy took held her close and rocked her. Provenza had sent Flynn to Chief Howard to find out when the generators would be kicking in. Sharon was looking at her hands which tingled from the electrical discharge that had filled her office only a split second before.

"I'm okay. I'm okay," she whispered. Sharon shook her head and hands. "I think I got hit by lightning. My hands feel funny." She wrinkled her nose, "I can taste metal."

The wind, the rain, the hail coming through the open window punctuated the ferocity of the storm outside and inside. She was helped to her feet and eased into Andy's chair. Julio shoved the smoldering chair toward the window and tossed a pot of coffee on it until the fire went out.

Jack lay beneath the window in a crumpled heap. The annulment papers he'd brought were scattering across the office.

Julio bent down and shook him gently, "Hey, Jack. Get up, man. It's time for you to go."

When Jack did not move, Julio called out, "Hey Tao! Come here a minute!"

"Holy crap!" were Mike Tao's first and usual go-to words of consternation. This time was no different.

Mike rolled Jack onto his back and felt for the carotid pulse. It was weak but there. Next he looked for burns in case Jack had been struck by the lightning that had sailed through the broken glass. Outwardly, Jack was only cut up by the shattered glass and otherwise no worse for the wear.

"Let's get him into the Murder Room," Mike nodded to Julio.

Together they lifted and dragged the heavier man into the relative safety of the inner room. Amy shut the door to the office behind them. Provenza was on the phone trying to get a paramedic up to the ninth floor. None was to be had until the storm had passed. They were on their own.

Andy returned from Chief Howard's office as a third of the lights flickered to life. He quickly surveyed the small area of destruction left by the blown out window and lightning strike. He went immediately to Sharon's side and looked at her carefully.

"Looks like you've got some glass cuts," Andy remarked as he gently removed a small shard from her cheek near her hairline. "So, what happened to him?" he nodded in the direction of Jack who was still out cold.

"You remember that old TV show when the wife would say to the husband, 'God will get you for that?'" Sharon began flatly. "The window blew out in my office as I was explaining that I intend to marry you in Church not at the courthouse. Then lightning struck through that window. I'd say God got him for it."

Andy suppressed a chuckle, "Well, let's hope I can do better."

Sharon turned to her hands, "Andy, I don't know, but I feel funny. My hands are still twitching. And I have a metallic taste in my mouth."

Andy nodded, wanting nothing more than to hold her close until they both felt better.

Mike looked up from Jack, "Ozone. You taste the ozone in the air after the lightning passed through it. Chemically, it rips apart three molecules of O2 and then bonds three oxygen atoms into two ozone molecules."

"But why are my hands feeling tingly?" Sharon looked to her encyclopedic Lieutenant and shook her hands to relieve the feelings.

"I dunno. Could just be adrenalin, or it could be some of the electrical discharge got you, too," Mike started. "As to Jack, I think he got a little too close to the discharge. I can't find any obvious entry or exit points, so I'm thinking he did not get struck directly. But I'm betting his heart has been damaged over years of drinking and stuff that..." Mike realized he might be overwhelming her with information.

Sharon just sat there and blinked at the scene, not quite knowing what to think or feel. Was this what her city would look like after Roslyn came through?

Chief Howard made his way to Major Crimes with an AED for Jack, "I thought you might need this, Lt Tao. They won't roll first responders until this storm passes. The weather guy in the EOC is predicting the eye will pass over us in an hour or so. This storm made landfall at the threshold of a cat 4 storm."

Provenza was watching a live feed from the EOC. The mayor was speaking.

"People need to stay inside, anywhere inside, until this storm passes. We will not risk the lives of our first responders on you if you get yourself in a jam of your own making. And looters need to understand that this storm may kill you, too. If it doesn't, we will track you down and put you in prison."

"Lovely," grumbled the seasoned Lieutenant. "Just suggest looters go out now..."

Howard shook his head and bent down to check on Jack who had yet to awaken. Tao had placed the sensor patches on Jack's bare skin. This model would automatically provide a shock, if needed. Meanwhile, Mike and the others watched the cursor bouncing along, tracing out the heart rhythm. It was not a smooth rhythm, but a sometimes jerky one.

Provenza changed the channel to see a meteorologist standing in the lee of a building out in the storm. "Ye gads, what could be any dumber!" he exclaimed. "Look at this idiot standing out in this mess prattling on about the wind and rain. I hope he gets blown over into Ventura County for his trouble!"

The AED alarm sounded with a shriek. "Clear the patient. Clear the patient" the artificial voice commanded. Jack's body jumped when the AED discharged. Sharon watched in horror as her ex-husband's body was jolted once then twice. The cursor moved up and down in something close to a normal heart rhythm.

Andy spoke first, "Hey, can we throw Jack into the back of one of those new vehicles and get him to the hospital ourselves?"

Mike shook his head, "Not until he stops throwing PVCs. Maybe, if we can get him there during the lull when the eye passes over us...if they eye passes over us."

A tear crept down Sharon's face.


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter 3

The storm's wrath spun up once again. The winds picked up speed and destructive power. The crash of power poles and street lights resounded through the offices in PAB. Every time a street light fell, loud popping and hissing accompanied the death of the pole and lamp. Transformers exploded throughout the city and county.

Sharon picked up her cell phone and called Rusty. The condo had lost power some time ago. So Rusty and Gus were reduced to playing some old board games from the top shelf of the hall closet.

"Hi, Honey," Sharon began.

"Hey Mom," Rusty replied. "Gus and I are fine. I made some PB&Js for lunch. I hear that some weatherman got himself all messed up out in the storm. Is that true?"

"Yes, we're hearing the same," Sharon responded. "He's in another section of the city. They mayor is dead-set against first responders getting hurt or killed responding to as he put it, 'Stupid stuff.' So what did you two find to occupy your time?"

"Well after the lights went out, we found some old board games in the hall closet. I beat him at Monopoly, but he's beating me at Parcheesi. I'm hoping the lights will come back on. My computer's battery needs recharging," Rusty continued. "Gus was really happy that you invited him over. He said the area where he lives can get flooded when it rains a while. Plus, he'd rather be bored here than bored and alone at his place," Rusty chuckled.

Sharon smiled, "I'm glad you two are staying safe. Remember, no..."

"Hurricane party, I know Mom," he cut her off. "We're good here. I love you, so stay safe when they let you guys out to do the check-out and clean-up."

"I love you, too," Sharon began to wrap up. "We've got emergency power here, so after the storm, we can recharge the batteries, if need be. It will be some time before power gets restored citywide. The storm is picking up. Lt Tao says that means the eye is right at hand. If the winds die down completely, it's not over. It's just the eye, so stay inside. Lt Tao says the eye won't have clouds in it like the backside of the storm will."

"Got it, Mom," Rusty nodded. "Have you talked to Ricky or Emily?"

"I texted them a while ago to let them know the PAB was okay," she did not have the heart to tell any of the children what was going on with Jack.

Her phone sounded for an incoming text, "Rusty, I'm getting a text. Let me let you go for now. Love you."

"Can't find Dad," Emily texted her mother.

"Can't go anywhere at the moment. Mayor insists everyone stay in until storm passes. Mom"

"OK. So he's not at a bar. Why won't he answer my text? Emily"

"Power is out over wide area of city. Mom"

"You got power? Em"

"Yes. Emerg generators at PAB. Mom"

Sharon motioned to Mike to hunt through Jack's pockets for his cell phone. Mike began pulling stuff out of Jack's pockets and putting the items into a plastic bin. Jack had been traveling light with only a wallet, comb, some change, two pens, and a cell phone. The phone was turned off. He waved the phone in her direction. Then, Mike motioned did she want him to turn it on. Sharon shook her head "no."

"Maybe cell tower is down where he is? Mom"

"Hadn't tht of that. Em."

"Feel better? Mom"

"Not really, but I'll live. Em"

"Love you. Mom"

"Love you 2. Em."

With that completed, Sharon breathed a sigh of relief. She looked at her team.

"What? I can't tell my daughter in a text that her father is lying in the floor of my office because he might have been hit by lightning while arguing with me in my office," she sounded angry.

"She'll find out soon enough," Julio commented.

Amy had made coffee and was passing it around to her teammates. She offered her Captain a cup of strong tea.

"Thank you, Amy," Sharon smiled at the younger woman.

Mike was watching the weather radar from LAX on his computer screen, "It really looks as if that eye will pass overhead very soon."

Jack lay quiet and motionless on the floor. Mike worked on a means by which an unconscious Jack could be moved down nine flights of stairs since the elevators were not on the emergency power. The typical solution would be to have the paramedics place him in a Stokes litter and carry him down. However, there was no Stokes litter in the PAB. And there were no paramedics in the PAB. He would have to craft one from what he could lay his hands on. Then he, Julio, and Buzz could get Jack to the car and to the hospital for treatment.

As Mike moved around the space, looking, Andy asked, "What are you looking for, Mike?"

"Something to fashion a litter so we can get him down the stairs," he responded.

Buzz chimed in, "The new vehicles all have folding litters. Let me go down to the parking garage and see what I can find."

"Now, THAT was useful," snarked Provenza after Buzz was well out of range as he continued to work a crossword puzzle.

A few minutes later, Buzz had returned with his prize. In his hands was what looked like a simple wad of beige tarp. He unrolled it next to Jack. Mike helped Buzz roll Jack into the extraction device and flexible stretcher.

"Every one of the new trucks has one of these in the First Aid box in the back," Buzz began. "It's sort of like the ones they use on Navy ships to evacuate a guy from below decks and around corners and up ladders. Not exactly new tech, but it's sound and proven tech. Plus it only weighs about three or four pounds."

Once they got Jack into the bag-like litter, they cinched up the straps in preparation to move him down to the truck and off to the hospital. The AED was tucked in with Jack.

"Yeah, we can do this, Ma'am," Julio told his Captain as she stood by watching it unfold before her.

The men lifted Jack up by the straps on the exterior of the bag.

"Just remember that we have to put him down if the AED sounds the warning, "Mike began.

"Just don't drop him," finished Sharon. "Chief Howard has okayed one of you to take him to the hospital in the eye of the storm. The rest of us are to remain at our posts."

Julio volunteered, "I'll go, Ma'am."

Sharon nodded her thanks. Buzz, Mike, and Julio transported the unconscious man down nine flights of stairs and into the parking garage. Buzz had acquire the keys to the vehicle and gave them to Julio who moved the truck to the edge of the garage to wait for the eye to pass overhead. Jack was laid out in the back of the vehicle. Sheets of rain hammered the entrance to the garage. Wind screamed through every street and alleyway.

"Remember, Julio," you're only going to have maybe fifteen to twenty minutes to get to the hospital," Mike instructed. "The storm will pick back up where it left off. The winds around the eye are the most intense, so be careful! Don't try to return here from the hospital. There won't be time to make a round trip and get Jack into the ER and you back before the storm kicks back into high gear again."

With that Buzz and Mike retreated back to the ninth floor. Julio headed out the garage once the eye appeared and sky cleared suddenly. Lights and sirens all the way to the ER entrance. He felt bad that the Captain had not been able to go with him on the run. Then again, he supposed he was lucky just to be able to do the transport given Chief Howard's orders and the mayor's directives.

The truck chassis rode hard, but it also rode above the flooded out streets. Storm drains were filled to capacity and then some. Pavement had collapsed in some places where flooding had undermined the roadbed. Lower lying areas would be waterlogged or underwater for some time. Julio easily navigated the streets by riding on the crown of the road, right down the middle for most of his run. Traffic lights lay scattered about mixed in with the debris of a wind storm. On one occasion he rode on the sidewalk to avoid a power line that lay across the road. There was no way to tell if the line was live or de-energized.

He arrived at the closest hospital in a matter of fifteen minutes. He pulled the truck under the porch and honked. The ER responded quickly to removed Jack and place him on one of their gurneys and hurried him into the Department as their first official casualty of Hurricane Roslyn.

Swiftly, they unbundled Jack from the emergency litter. Julio stood by to collect it for Buzz, knowing that he had probably promised his firstborn to get the litter and truck to begin with. All of the team would do anything to make life smoother for the Captain whom they had come to adore.

Julio did his best to explain what had happened to Jack as the ER personnel began running tests. The hospital backup generators had been running smoothly, lighting the ER, ORs, and a variety of critical care units. Patients, who could be, were sent home before the storm hit in preparation for mass casualties caused by the storm.

Another first responder arrived within minutes of Julio. It was a older gentleman who had suffered a heart attack when the storm hit. Next, a near drowning victim was brought into the department. Before the eye had finished passing overhead, the ER was full of a mixed bag of injuries and illnesses. Julio watched it all without comment. The staff understood that this police detective would be standing in as Jack's next of kin until the backside of the storm had finished with the city.

"He's in the ER being checked out. No info yet. Sanchez." was the text he sent to the Captain.

"Thanks Julio." was her reply. "Stay put. Storm abt to pick up again. SR"


	4. Chapter 4

Note to readers: I had been planning a hurricane story before Matthew popped up. It was set to mirror the only storm that did hit the California coast, the St Francis storm. I did intentionally make it ferocious as part of the plot. And Roslyn is a storm name for the Eastern Pacific Basin for 2016. Also, if you are wondering where Det. Wes Nolan is, I have not seen enough of him to "write" for his character. Maybe later!

Chapter 4

By afternoon, the storm had done its worst. Six hours of Roslyn was more than enough. Trees were down. Large branches lay across parked cars and pierced roofs. Power lines were down. Shop signs had been shredded and cast across wide swaths of yards and streets. Streets were flooded out. Canals were overtopped. Some streets had caved in as if a water line had broken beneath them so saturated was the ground below them. Cars were piled up in floodways and underpasses where they had been abandoned with the strong currents crashing them into one another. The city looked like a very wet war zone. The hurricane had spared no neighborhood, no beach, no marina.

The rich and poor alike were trapped amid devastation all through the metro area. Skid Row bodies would turn up in odd places throughout the coming days and weeks. Malibu was unrecognizable. Together with Venice Beach, it had been swept into the sea by the storm surge. Mudslides now threatened to further unleash trouble upon those unfortunate enough to be near denuded hillsides after the summer fire season. Tornadoes spawned by the storm had obliterated entire neighborhoods. The contents of bodegas and small shops were scattered in the streets. The storm beat the looters to it all. Everything was waterlogged.

Sharon's team was dispersed with the SOB teams. Sharon rode with Chief Howard. Julio had returned from the hospital with no diagnosis on Jack's condition. By the time she headed out, her children had all been made aware of Jack's episode in the office. Sharon did not have the luxury to spend time thinking about Jack; she had a job to do.

By nightfall, the National Guard should arrive to begin setting up its Command Post alongside the EOC for the city. Until then, it was up to the LAPD and Sheriff's Department. There would be no rioting or looting in the city. Period. So declared the mayor. Fritz was in uniform, Sharon in plain clothes, wearing low quarters if she had to chase a suspect. Fritz was not allowed to play chase anymore. Their composite teams were all the same: SOB in uniform with a rifle; Major Crimes in plain clothes with a shotgun. Each member wore a vest and service pistol in case of trouble, especially in the tougher parts of town. Cell service was spotty at times, but the police radios were working well except in some of the higher elevations or down in the ravines where repeaters had been knocked out or flattened by the storm.

It was not long after the backside of Roslyn passed when Chief Howard and Captain Raydor made their first stop. It was still raining but the winds had subsided somewhat. It was a nursing home in the Hollenbeck Area of Central Bureau. They got out, examined the damage, snapping photos of the street sign then the damage as a record before heading to the river. They checked on the staff and residents before moving on. Generally, people were somewhat dazed but otherwise alright. Hollenbeck Lake was well beyond its normal size with water cascading through the streets looking for lower ground in which to pool.

"Oh, this is going to be mosquito heaven in a day or so," remarked Sharon as they navigated the watery roads, carefully making sure to leave no wake behind.

"Mmm. Back East, they use aerial spraying to control the bugs," Fritz murmured.

"Now that could lead to riots here," Sharon chuckled as Fritz nodded.

People were out on their porches trying to make sense of what had just happened to them and their neighborhood. Few looked to be in a particular panic. Neighbors waded through the murky water to check on neighbors. Some even looked up to see and wave at the police vehicle.

The Los Angeles River, normally barely a trickle, was a raging torrent that would give even a seasoned white water rafter pause. Sharon thought the water sounded like Niagara Falls in its volume.

"It'll be days before we find any trapped souls in that," Fritz remarked.

"If ever," Sharon added.

Sharon's phone rang. She did not recognize the number.

"Yes?" she answered the call. "This is she."

Her heart stopped for a moment and her eyes involuntarily welled with tears. She fell back in the seat.

"...I see...Yes... I understand. Thank you," was all she could croak out as she began to bow her head, crumple in the seat, and shake.

"What is it?" Fritz stopped the vehicle and turned to his friend.

Heaving, Sharon did her best to convey the heart of the conversation, "Jack. Died. They tried."

"Okay. Well, we're heading back in," Fritz announced as he made several turns to point them back toward the PAB. He reached over to put his hand on her back. "I'm so sorry, Sharon."

Buzz had been sent with Andy into the heart of the city, mostly to document damage ahead of FEMA and the other federal agencies that would descend upon Los Angeles as soon as LAX was back up and running. They found the Financial District washed out with glass by the buckets on the surrounding surfaces. The Fashion District had fared little better. Downtown was simply awash in shattered glass and miscellaneous debris. Before long, they found that being on foot was a quicker way to move through the remains.

Julio and Cooper began their patrol at the largest apothecary to ensure that looters were not getting into the scheduled drugs in Downtown. They also found they had to dismount and go on foot. Their jackets boldly proclaimed "LAPD" and "Police." The shattered buildings had a few people wandering through them. Cooper circled around back while Julio waited for him to flush the young men into his path.

Cooper yelled, "LAPD! Come on out, hands up," as he entered the building.

A young man held his hands above his head, "Don't shoot! Please don't shoot!"

Rifle raised, Cooper approached him cautiously, "What are you doing out here? There's a curfew in place."

The young man motioned with his head to what lay at his feet, "My baby needed diapers. The roof leaked and ruined the only package we had."

"Go!" Cooper ordered as he lower the rifle a bit. "Take these with you, and make sure you pay for them later."

Amy and her SWAT counterpart started at a strip mall to put down any looting. There were a handful of young men and women milling around the stores, looking in to see if something of value had survived the storm's impact. Amy rounded them up, checked IDs, and sent them home with notice the curfew had not been lifted. If they were seen again on the streets, they would be arrested.

The young SWAT officer added, "Go clean up your own neighborhood. Don't worry about somebody else's stuff!"

Commander McGinnis and Provenza moved into the Northeast Area. McGinnis made one arrest of the looter she chased down. She found Provenza's lack of interest utterly annoying.

Mike Tao and his accompanying SOB officer started into a residential neighborhood in Rampart. A crowd of rowdy drunks greeted them. Mike called for a wagon and rounded them up, sending them off to sober up.

Fritz got Sharon back to the PAB and called their friend Andrea Hobbs to come over from the District Attorney's office. That office had also manned up to process arrest paperwork that came in from all quarters of the city. There were court judges also standing by, camping in the courthouse. Looting was kept to a minimum because of the robust and quick deployment of the police, sheriff's deputies, and reserve officers before the National Guard arrived on scene.

A sergeant in the Guard's Motor T suggested putting plastic snow chains on smaller vehicles to protect the tires from the larger shards of glass that lined the streets and alleyways of the entire city. The larger vehicles like the 5-Tons and water buffaloes had tires sufficiently thick to ward off major damage because of the glass. Every vehicle was equipped with a large barn shovel to move glass off the street and into piles for pickup later.

Andrea stayed with Sharon as she made the phone calls to Emily and Ricky, then to Rusty letting them know that Jack had passed away. As soon as things got back up and running, they could plan the funeral. Sharon asked her priest if he could anoint Jack's body to which he agreed and made arrangements with Dr. Morales.

Then Sharon simply cried while Andrea held her close and cried with her friend. All the years of hurt, the decades of not knowing where he was or if he was even okay, the gambling, the drinking, the carousing, the hate-filled arguments punctuated by rabid insults cast her way, and sorrow for a failed marriage all tumbled out at once. Her city was in shambles. The father of her children was dead. It all was just too much to hold in at that moment in time.


	5. Chapter 5

Chapter 5

At the end of their 72-hour "day," the teams were able to stand down and get some rest. Individuals had catnapped at desks and in cars throughout the ordeal, but nobody had been home for a real meal, shower, or bed. At the end of the three first days of storm and aftermath, everyone was dead on their feet. However, they were a good kind of tired. Their beloved city was no longer a war zone. Most of the windows smashed on the PAB by Roslyn were now repaired. Chief Howard's and Sharon's teams received commendations for their actions. Chief Pope also took the opportunity to make Sharon Raydor, Commander Sharon Raydor. Provenza was also promoted to Captain. The "wetting down" party was one for the books.

A few shops were beginning to open back up. Power was crawling across pockets of the city. Mischief had been kept to a minimum because of their sacrifices. It was time to go home and rest for at least eighteen hours. The National Guard had now taken over many of the storm related policing duties. They had paramedics within their ranks as well as Military Police and Combat Engineers.

They set up mobile feeding stations for their troops as well as residents of the devastated city a long with a host of NGOs like the Salvation Army, Red Cross, Catholic Charities, and Baptist Men. Power was very slow to come back up. Combat Engineers, bearing chainsaws, were in the forefront removing trees and other debris from the roadways. It was excellent practice for an urban combat scenario. Port Hueneme deployed the battalion of Navy Seabees to work on broken infrastructure. Crews from the Panhandles of Texas and Oklahoma were busily resetting power poles as other crews from across the nation strung the lines behind them. After six weeks of 24/7 work, power had been restored to all but the most remote of areas within the county. PG&E began releasing crews from the other states, shouldering the rest of the load with its own crews.

A "boil-water" order was still set in place for the foreseeable future. Water restrictions were also made mandatory as the city services fought to restore pumps, water purification, and sewer systems. The massive amounts of rain had caused severe damage to the infrastructure. Sanitary sewers as well as the storm sewers had all overflowed. Massive amounts of raw sewage of all kinds flowed into the Los Angeles River and into the sea, sometimes from streets in residential communities. The Parks Department had its hands full of litter and debris. After a week of working on their own homes, many Angelitos came out to scour the beaches of the storm's aftermath. People swept up glass and the remains of smashed things, setting the piles at the curb's edge.

Shortly after the storm had passed, Rusty and Gus had moved the porch furniture back out to the balcony. It was cooler to sleep there than inside. On the eleventh floor, there were no bugs to bother them, only the occasional pigeon looking for a place to land, having lost its home to the winds and rain. On that third day, Andy and Sharon finally made it home. Sharon made the slow walk up the flights of stairs with Andy, insisting he rest every flight. Sharon considered doing a "Rusty" onto the couch, face first, but one look at herself in the hall mirror sent her to the shower. The shock of Jack's death has worn off through long, hard work; but still it showed on her face. There would be her children, the rest of the family, the funeral, and work still ahead. At least for this crisis, she had Andy, Rusty, and Gus to help her. She was not alone.

Andy had a locker at the police gym where he had sneaked away and had gotten a shower halfway through the initial ordeal albeit that water pressure was much lower than normal. Julio and Provenza were sporting a three day stubble. "Mr. Clean" was unfazed and still looking like Mr. Clean. Amy had also remained sleek, relying on her field experience in a real war zone. Compared to Iraq, this was a day in the park with the church choir for her. Nothing was blowing up, and nobody was shooting at her.

Sharon told both Emily and Ricky to stay where they were for the moment. Jack remained with Dr. Morales who determined he'd died from a massive myocardial infarction, a huge heart attack in which the muscle virtually exploded. There was no coming back from that no matter who tried to resuscitate him. His heart bore the damage of many decades of alcoholism. His liver was nearly as bad. At best, Jack had only a few months to live regardless of how close he'd been to the lightning rattling through her office. Dr. Morales reassured Sharon that the last argument was not a precipitating cause of Jack's demise. Jack's death was all on Jack's own reckless behavior.

The post storm loss of life was low because of the mayor's insistence on a curfew for the first two weeks and the police and Guard ability to maintain it. The dead were being found in homes not evacuated and in strange places all over the city. There will always be some who insist on not following evacuation and curfews. Those paid with their lives just as the mayor had warned. Regardless of the warnings eighty people lost their lives because of the Hurricane Roslyn.

Alcohol fueled fights were brought to heel quickly. NGOs were placed strategically in communities to facilitate food and water distribution so that people could have basic needs met within walking distance. Tents were pitched in church parking lots for temporary shelter for those whose homes were damaged beyond quick repairs. Mobile showers stood alongside laundry facilities and FEMA trailers. A few residents grumbled about "bad food" but given the state of their city and their lives, the number of complaints was small.

Sharon still had no power at her condo for over two weeks. Mercifully, the water heater was gas. The gas lines had survived except in a few places where washed out roads collapsed in on top of the lines. They were eating out from the deli around the corner which had gas but no power. Everything was simply carry out with daily deliveries of meats and dry ice. The store owner kept a running tab for his locals and made change for those whom he didn't know. Gus's home was on a street that flooded out, so he stayed with them at the condo until enough road had been repaired for him to move home.

Sharon had Jack's body moved to a local mortuary. Three weeks after the storm, Emily flew into San Francisco and road down with her brother to bury their father. Fr Martin held a simple service in the chapel at Sharon's parish. Her team and a few of the lawyers who had worked with Jack attended. His body was laid to rest near his mother and father. A simple polished granite marker would be installed in the next few weeks.

Since both Sharon and Andy were previously married and older than the young couples in the parish Pre-Cana classes, Fr Martin met with them privately before agreeing to bless the marriage in the Church. He tailored the premarital counseling to their needs and situation. They had kept Sharon's condo in town while buying a house that would meet their longer term needs. To fulfill the priest's requirement, Andy soloed at the new house every night even as they spent most evenings at the condo. As mature adults they could abstain for the sake of "getting it right this time." On the weekends they had no call-outs, Sharon arranged her new home with Andy and Rusty. They discovered a whole new level of companionship during the wait for the wedding.

Six months later, the team, personal friends, and family gathered in the chapel one Saturday noon to witness the vows and affirm their support for Mr. and Mrs. Flynn. It was with a wink that Andy promised "'til death do us part." Sharon blushed and smiled widely, recalling the words that had half-spooked her a year or so ago when Andy's embolism surgery had saved his life.

Andy had found a quiet place in the Adirondacks for their honeymoon. Sharon had cleared the paperwork with the State of New York for their carrying of personal firearms while off duty. What they both wanted was a quiet place to enjoy nature and each other. All the kids enjoyed the views of the lake where they stayed and the animals which wandered up to the sliding glass doors of the cabin. Finally, they felt as if they had found profound contentment after having endured the fury of a hurricane called Roslyn.


End file.
